Owen Hargreaves names Man United duo who ‘really frustrated’ Ruben Amorim in draw to Ipswich

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Ruben Amorim’s debut as Manchester United head coach didn’t go according to plan.

The 39-year-old couldn’t have asked for a better start after Marcus Rashford started as a striker and scored the opener after just 81 seconds.

However, Manchester United struggled to stay in control of the game and ended up drawing 1-1 with Ipswich Town.

It was a fairly deflating performance following the excitement around Ruben Amorim’s appointment, but it was always going to be a tough afternoon given the fact he only had two training sessions with a full squad.

Ruben Amorim conceded that United will have to “suffer for a long period” as they adapt to his style of play, and it was clear against Ipswich that some players will need longer than others.

Ruben Amorim ‘very frustrated’ at Man United duo

It was a frustrating debut match for Amorim, who praised his players for trying but admitted that there is a long road ahead.

It was pointed out that Amorim had an “incredulous” reaction to Rasmus Hojlund after watching the 21-year-old fail to close down the goalkeeper in the second half, and it seems the Portuguese boss was also irritated by two other United stars.

Former United star Owen Hargreaves was at Portman Road to watch the clash and he kept a keen eye on Amorim’s touchline behaviour.

Speaking to Premier League Productions, Hargreaves said: “He [Amorim] was pretty frustrated. He was right in front of me and he was really, really frustrated with a lot of things.

“I think, initially, Dalot’s positioning he was a little bit frustrated with that in the first half. I think the midfield balance he didn’t really like and when Zirkzee came on I don’t think he was overly happy with his positioning too.

“Before the game we saw all those smiles and that charm but during the game he was really frustrated and I think he’s realised this is going to be a lot harder than he probably envisioned.”

Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee must adapt to Ruben Amorim

There are many United players who will have to adapt to new roles and positions under Amorim if they plan on having a future at Old Trafford – Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee are certainly in that category.

Dalot struggled at left wing-back on Sunday which admittedly is not his preferred side, but that may be his best route to the starting XI with Noussair Mazraoui thriving at right wing-back.

READ MORE: Four winners and three losers from Ruben Amorim first Man Utd game in charge

As for Zirkzee, he came off the bench to play as a No.10 but he continued to look lost and unsure of where he should be positioned. One of the biggest concerns is that Zirkzee doesn’t seem to know his best position and it’s difficult to see how he fits into Amorim’s style.

Zirkzee has been linked with a United exit in January just six months after he joined the club, and unless he can force his way into Amorim’s plans his United career could be very short-lived.